1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technical field for downsizing a vehicle lamp by agreement in output positions between a horizontally driving device for horizontally rotating a lamp unit and a shade driving device for moving a shade.
2. Related Art
Some vehicle lamps have a “two-lamp switching mechanism” capable of switching between a lower beam (a passing beam) and an upper beam (a driving beam) by controlling a shielded quantity of light emitted from a light source and reflected on a reflector by moving the shade.
In the vehicle lamps, the shade, provided within a lamp unit arranged within a lamp housing, is inclinedly or vertically moved by driving force of a shade driving actuator serving as a shade driving device having a solenoid so that the shade position is changed, thereby controlling the shielded quantity of light. (For example, refer to JP-A-2003-257218 and JP-A-09-330603.)
On the other hand, there are some vehicle lamps capable of changing the illuminating direction according to the running status of a vehicle.
In these vehicle lamps, for example, the lamp unit having a light source is horizontally rotationally movably supported within a lamp housing. The lamp unit is rotationally moved by the driving force of a horizontally driving actuator serving as a horizontally driving device in a direction horizontal to the lamp housing, thereby changing the illuminating direction (for example, refer to JP-A-2004-227933).
Therefore, by rotationally moving the lamp unit by the driving force of the horizontally driving actuator, for example, where the vehicle runs on a meandering road or curves at a crossing, an illuminating direction is changed right and left according to a vehicle running direction so that the road in the vehicle running direction can be illuminated immediately.
Meanwhile, there are some vehicle lamps capable of switching between the lower beam and the upper beam and also horizontally changing the illuminating direction. In these vehicle lamps, two actuators are required, inclusive of a shade driving actuator serving as a shade driving device and a horizontally driving actuator serving as a horizontally driving device.
In these vehicle lamps, for example, the shade driving actuator is arranged within the lamp unit whereas the horizontally driving actuator is arranged outside the lamp unit within the lamp housing.
However, since the shade driving actuator is arranged within the lamp unit, the object to be driven inclusive of the lamp unit horizontally driven by the horizontally driving actuator is correspondingly heavy so that great torque is required for the horizontally driving actuator. This will lead to upsizing of the horizontally driving actuator and an increase in power consumption.
Further, in horizontally rotationally moving the lamp unit, a connection cord connected to the shade driving actuator is displaced owing to its flexing with the rotational movement of the lamp unit. Thus, the space for arranging the connecting cord corresponding to the displacing range and any consideration for training the connecting cord are required. This may lead to upsizing of the vehicle lamp and an increase in the production cost.